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White Sox starting pitchers getting little help

White Sox starting pitchers getting little help

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By Scott Merkin
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MLB.com |

DETROIT -- Despite losing Gavin Floyd for the season and missing John Danks and Jake Peavy for large chunks because of injuries, the White Sox starting staff has been one of the club's most consistent 2013 forces. They began play Tuesday leading the American League in opponents' average (.245), third in ERA (3.90), third in strikeout/walk ratio (3.07) and third in WHIP (1.22).

But even this solid White Sox discipline has hit rough times of late.

Hector Santiago and Danks stand as the only two members of the rotation to pick up a victory since the start of June. Danks has recorded two wins in seven starts, while Santiago has picked up two in six starts.

Overall, the White Sox rotation has a 4-14 record with a 3.99 ERA and 16 no-decisions. Pitching coach Don Cooper falls in the group which doesn't judge wins as a very important pitching category, and Chris Sale, who is 0-6 over his last seven starts despite his ERA going from 2.53 to just 2.78 during that run, is in agreement.

Sale also presents one obvious caveat to the idea.

"You could say wins and losses aren't the most important thing to look at, but at the end of the day, losing [stinks]," Sale said. "I don't care who you are and who you lose to. It's not fun.

"So, you can say the win and loss record is not important, but it's not fun losing regardless of how well you pitch or how well everyone else thinks you are pitching. You want to win."

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.